


flickering flame

by mistspren



Category: Pokemon GO
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, Polyamory, Roommates, This is Bad, Wish Fulfillment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 07:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7791685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistspren/pseuds/mistspren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I can't think of a better title it's late I have to go to bed<br/>Candela gets hurt and Blanche and Spark angst about it. Ft roommate shenanigans and lots of fluff. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p>
            </blockquote>





	flickering flame

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if the whole thing isn't showing up there's a problem with the formatting... damn emojis. i promise its longer than a paragraph

Candela was being rash again.  
Candela was always being rash, and Blanche was getting a little tired of it. Yes, it was in her nature. But Blanche and Spark were always cleaning up her messes.  
Oh, well.  
Blanche replied to the sloppily written text-- _got beat up again, bad. come pick me up? near big tree. thanks ;*_ \--quickly, preparing to move.  
 _I’ll be right there. Stay put. Don’t do anything rash._  
And audibly groaned at the reply. _rash? me? never._

She was lying there under the tree, anxious Flareon on her chest. The chest was going up and down, thank goodness. But her eyes were closed and her face was a mass of cuts. Blanche ran to her, falling to her knees at Candela’s side.  
“Are you okay?” She knew that Candela really wasn’t. It was always best to ask.  
One eye opened a crack, and the mouth quirked into a slight smile. “I am now that you’re here,” Candela breathed, and passed out.

It was an anxious drive back to the apartment they all shared--Blanche’s, really, but it was all of theirs. Candela was flat in the backseat, three seatbelts across her body to keep her from moving. Not ideal, but it kept blood flowing to the head better than a seated position would. Blanche pulled the car into the garage and lifted Candela out of the seat, her head lolling on Blanche’s shoulder. She mumbled something.  
“Shhh,” Blanche said. “It’ll be okay.”  
Candela smacked her lips and tried again. “Thanks.”  
Blanche blinked away tears. “Anytime.”

As soon as Candela was safely in her bed (the stairs had been murder), Blanche called Spark. He picked up almost immediately.  
“Blanche, what’s up?”  
“Candela was being an idiot again and I had to pick her up and she’s passed out and--” Blanche’s voice broke. She took a moment to breathe. “Please come home.”  
“I’ll be right there,” Spark said, voice full of concern. The call ended.  
Blanche walked into the kitchen and got a rag out of a drawer, then ran it under cold water. She tried not to think too much. Mechanically, she walked back to her room and began to dab it on Candela’s cuts. Candela stirred a little. “Shh, shh,” Blanche said. “Relax.”  
After a few minutes, she walked back to the kitchen to get an icepack, almost running into Spark as he came through the door. Spark held out a hand to catch her as she almost fell, pulling her into a quick embrace. “Where is she?” he asked.  
“In my room. I’m getting an ice pack. She’s--it’s bad,” Blanche said. “I’m doing everything I can, but--”  
“Blanche. It’s not your fault. She’ll be fine, soon enough. Don’t worry.” Spark gave her hand a quick squeeze and then turned away, towards her room.  
“Thanks,” Blanche whispered after him, and then hurried to the freezer.  
When she got back to the room, Candela’s eyes were open. Spark stood over her, holding her hand. Blanche moved in closer so she could hear what they were saying.  
“I hurt all over,” Candela whispered.  
“I know,” Spark replied. Blanche relaxed a little. When he talked in that comforting tone, sometimes Blanche thought not even Team Rocket could resist.  
“Spark.”  
“Yes, Candela?”  
“I was being really stupid.”  
Spark smiled a little. “It’s okay. We all make mistakes.”  
“My Flareon fainted, and I fought their Exeggutor.”  
“Wait. You… fought an Exeggutor? Not your Pokemon? Like, hand-to-hand combat?”  
“Yes, I did. And I lost.”  
“Well, clearly. I was just wondering… why?”  
“They killed a Pidgey,” Candela spat, her voice rising. Blanche’s breath caught. “Just killed it, because they were angry that it wasn’t an Eevee! Just like that. You don’t do that. Oh, you battle it, make it faint, maybe even throw it away! Give it to the Professor! I don’t care, whatever! But you don’t. Kill. Pokemon.” There was more anger in Candela’s face than Blanche had ever seen. And suddenly she understood why she’d found Candela in such a state. If it had been her, she would have done the same, however dangerous it was, however much it was against custom.  
No Pokemon should die.  
But however noble the cause, Candela was still hurt. And she was tense and breathing hard after her long speech. Spark put a hand on her shoulder very gently. Blanche could see the angry light in his eyes, but he was keeping it together for Candela. “Candela, relax,” he said softly. “I understand. It’s not your fault. I would have done the same! But you can’t get yourself too worked up. You’re hurt very, very badly, and I don’t want it to get worse. Keep yourself safe.” He paused, and continued in a low, harsh voice. “Blanche and I will deal with… with them.”  
Blanche realized that she had been standing at the foot of her bed listening to them talk and holding the icepack. Candela needed it. She walked to the head of the bed, where Candela’s eyes had closed, and bent over her. “Candela?” she said quietly. “You don’t need to open your eyes, but I’m putting an icepack on your head, okay?”  
“Yeah,” Candela breathed, barely opening her mouth. Blanche put the icepack on her forehead gently, trying not to disturb her. Candela let out a long sigh.  
Spark beckoned to Blanche. She followed him out of the room. Once they were in the hallway, Spark’s face tightened. “So, Blanche. Here’s the thing. We can’t take her to the hospital.”  
“Why?” Blanche asked, and then mentally kicked herself. She knew this. She was the one who was supposed to know. “Yes. Right. It’s illegal--”  
“--for humans to fight Pokemon,” Spark finished. “And we have no proof that a Pidgey was killed, since Pokemon poof when they die. So we can’t take her to the hospital, because then she’ll have to go to court. And we’ll lose. Plus, we can’t afford a lawyer.”  
Blanche nodded. “So… we have to keep her here.”  
“Yes. And we have to get her better.”  
Blanche sighed, a long sigh. “Okay. Where’s my laptop?”  
“Behind you,” Spark said, pointing.  
She grabbed it, opened it, and sat down.  
It was going to be a long night.

Spark was in and out of Blanche’s room, checking on Candela, washing her face, replacing the ice pack, and doing whatever Blanche suggested from her research. Blanche was half-aware of him bustling around the house. Most of her mind was in her research.  
Whenever something happened, Blanche had to understand it. It was the only way, for her. Without understanding, it was far too easy to be wrong. So she searched papers, blog posts, advice columns, anything about caring for someone who was knocked out. On the surface, Candela’s injuries seemed like they should be painful and induce facial swelling, but not knock her out and leave her weak for hours. Something was wrong. So Blanche read deeper and deeper, into a wormhole of Wikipedia and medical research and--  
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up at Spark. He looked concerned. And tired.  
“You okay, Flashy?” she asked, reflexively using an old nickname.  
“Blanche, you need sleep.”  
“I need to find out what’s wrong with Candela,” she said, suppressing a yawn. “Candela needs me.”  
“Blanche. Listen. It’s 2 AM. Two in the morning. At least one of us needs to go to work tomorrow, and I know you. If I don’t make you sleep now, you won’t sleep. And one of us needs to be awake for Candela, the other for the Professor.”  
Blanche looked up at him for a long moment, looked at her screen, and then finally nodded. Spark smiled at her and turned to walk away. “Wait,” she said, grabbing at his shirt. He turned. “Can I… can I sleep in your room? She’s in mine, and I couldn’t… I can’t sleep in her room without her. It smells like her…” Blanche trailed off, realizing how silly she sounded.  
Spark nodded. “It’ll be better for both of us.” Blanche smiled at him. Spark knew her too well, but for once, she was grateful.  
As Blanche prepared for bed, showering and brushing her teeth and hair, she worried about Candela. But as she climbed into Spark’s warm bed, she only thought about sleep. As she drifted off, she imagined someone was singing her a lullaby… singing…  
Wait.  
Blanche’s eyes flew open. She had never felt more awake. “Spark! Wake up!” she hissed. “I know what’s wrong!”  
“Wha--” Spark opened one eye, then the other. “Wh--You do? What is it?” He sat bolt upright, as awake as Blanche was.  
“She fought an Exeggutor! And it used Sing!”  
“Oh. Oh, yes! She’s not knocked out, she’s just--”  
“Asleep,” they finished together.  
“But why hasn’t she woken up?” Blanche asked.  
“She’s not a Pokemon. They heal more easily. You can just use a potion--a potion--Blanche, do you have a Max Potion?”  
“Yes, but… Spark, that’s… is that a good idea? You just said she’s not a Pokemon.”  
“Yes, but we have to try. Otherwise, she might--might not--might not wake up.” Spark’s face crumpled for a minute, and then it was back to normal. “Plus, let’s just say I have a feeling about it. Or, you could say… an instinct.” He winked.  
Blanche rolled her eyes, but she was scrambling out of bed to get to her backpack. Yes, there was a Max Potion. She grabbed it and ran into the other room. “Candela!” she hissed. “Wake up. I can make you better.”  
Candela moaned. “Ow--Blanche, what?”  
“Candela, we know what’s wrong! You just need to drink this. Please.” Blanche tried to keep her hands from shaking. She was so tired.  
“Wha’s that?”  
“A Max Potion. Because the Exeggutor--”  
“‘M not a Pokemon, Blanche--”  
“It doesn’t matter! You fought like a Pokemon so you need to be healed like one!” Blanche snapped, and then regretted it. “I’m sorry, Candela. But really. This will help.”  
“Mmh. Okay.” Candela opened her mouth slowly.  
Blanche poured in the potion, and Candela’s throat moved as she swallowed it. Spark came in, turning on the light, and Blanche saw that Candela looked a little better.  
The potion was gone.  
“Feeling any better?” Blanche asked her.  
“Yeah. Yes, I am! I still need to sleep,” Candela said, the last bit muffled as her face went into Blanche’s pillow.  
Blanche stroked Candela’s hair. “Can I crawl in with you, Candy?” she asked softly.  
“Mm-hm,” Candela mumbled.  
Blanche laid down to Candela, her eyes closing as she felt Spark climb in on the other side. She curled up, putting her arms around both of them, and for the first time in more than twelve hours she felt at peace.

Candela woke up and groaned. Her face was still inflamed, which was to be expected, but she felt so much better than the stupor she’d been in yesterday. She mumbled and rolled over, throwing an arm around Blanche, who stirred and opened her eyes, and then sat bolt upright.  
“Spark!” she said in a normal voice. Candela winced.  
“Mm?” Spark said, still asleep.  
“We slept through our alarm!”  
Spark swore, sitting up. “We did.” He got up, stretched a little, and hurried to his room to change.   
Blanche got ready right there as Candela drifted in and out of sleep. She brushed her long hair, pulled on her jacket, and gently ruffled Candela’s hair. “Thanks for making us late to work, hothead,” she said, smiling affectionately.  
Candela stuck out her tongue. “Be nice. I spared you hours of boring research with Professor Workaholic.”  
“Hey, be careful who you call workaholic,” Blanche said, drifting out the door.  
Candela smiled and sat up. It was going to be a nice day off work.

**Author's Note:**

> I used she/her for Blanche because that's what Willow uses in the game and I'm assuming he knows her correct pronouns.  
> Thanks for reading! I appreciate your feedback B)
> 
> 1/15/18: slight edits for format/grammar, nothing noticeable


End file.
